#47: That's not just any man... That's OUR man! You're a GOOD MAN, Clay Aiken!

[jmh123]

Did y'all notice Solo's siggy when she posted yesterday? I love it:

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." -- Dalai Lama

[muskifest]

He got a sunburn!

WOW! Clay got some color on his face!

And neck!

Oooooh. That's......

hawt.

[claytonic]

When I first started reading fandom posts, I was surprised to discover that ATDW had been a disappointment for some because it's a covers album. Clay's version has often become my favorite version.

I would never have thought in a million years that my favorite version of BOTW could possibly be anyone's other than Art Garfunkel, but it happened. Same with Solitaire, despite the fact that I truly love the original version by Neil Sedaka.

[justclay12]

Let's see the WHOLE picture!

Who can concentrate on the sunburn when there are some long, lean legs in a pair of nice fitting jeans?

[Couch Tomato]

Chain of Fools was originally by Aretha (at least that's the first version I heard), so yeah, definitely R&B. R&B covers would rule my world!

Al Green is my main R&B/soul man...

ooh love Al Green..so many old school R&B lovers here..whoo hooo

[tribeca]

Chain of Fools

think my issue with cover besides I like new music

is I think Clay is too young for it

& I am unsure (even before I hear it ) that I even want to buy it. I have always been excited for every new thing in his career. This is the first time that I haven't been. It is a new expreince for me.

Just , I don't know think he is better than a covers's artist.

it is funny because I do love the song Solitaire especially when he sang on AI3 (but I never heard that song before so it was new to me)

here's a strange question

I usually don't like smutty posts or slash fiction

but there is something totally endearing about Muskifest post. I am very confused by that.

[wandacleo]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but twice is good because it's such a good article: Fascinating Queers: Clay Aiken:Measuring the Man

ETA: Scroll down a bit.

[liney23]

Im frustrated, Ive been here for almost a month (can you believe it!) and I havent gotten my time sheets yet, and I cant get paid until I get my time sheets and send them in...10 days after that I get paid...I came down here with nothing, and keep having to ask my mom for money...when if i would just get my time sheet I will be fine..weve called them, they say they sent them..we call them the next day..I understand a few days, but its been a week since they sent them and its coming from close by...we ask them to send another one, they dont listen....sigh sigh..as soon as I start getting paid for my work it will be much nicer being here lol not that i neeeed anything, but I dont like working for free either lol

smitten... take couchie's offer of a ride, and then tell them you are coming to get your timecard at such and such a time cause the post office is eating them and you need that stuff called money. Good luck!

muski, where do I sign up to get that book, and how soon will it be out? And I expect pics because I'm one of those visual people so I need it to get into the story and all.

justclay...

BWAH! His hair in that pic makes me think of Cameron Diaz in "Something About Mary"...

Yeah, that's certainly the most flattering pic I've seen of Clay lately....I'm tellin' ya'---he looks so much better with dark colors near his face, IMO. Love that smile.

Oh justclay! I loved End of the Road, too! When I listen to that now I always think..."Hmmm...Jacob sounds pretty danged good...and then.....THEN...the VOX enters and immediately it's like "Jacob Who?" Gah...I love his voice doing soul and R&B and Motown stuff...Talk about some exploding heads if he ever decided to record an R&B covers cd.

Oh! Wouldn't that be GREAT if that's what he was talking about in that "Talk Back" session when he said the next cd was going to be covers?!!?!?!?!??!?!

muski... I LOVED End of the Road! God, his voice just is so awesome in that song. I also LOVED it when Jacob and the keyboardist changed places the last show!!! Or, am I screwed up and they are two different songs. He and Jacob sang one song in the IT and one in the JBT and I loved both of them, so which one was End of the Road?

By the way, I, too, would LOVE a R&B album! It suits his voice so well! Green-eyed Soul, indeed!

Let's see the WHOLE picture!

muski... S.W.O.O.N!!! Oh, my!!! Thank you, she says breathlessly!

here's a strange question

I usually don't like smutty posts or slash fiction

but there is something totally endearing about Muskifest post. I am very confused by that.

tribeca... muski is the Queen of Smut and she didn't get that title for nuttin' She's dang good! The smoothest. All others are just wannabe's. Don't question it, just relax and enjoy it!

wanda... that was a great article about Clay... once I got over the gay slang!

[ncgurrl]

Let's see the WHOLE picture!

Who can concentrate on the sunburn when there are some long, lean legs in a pair of nice fitting jeans?

Nice pouchy tummy. It would make a great pillow. Now which way should I turn my head? Up or Down? Maybe I should just be restless and toss and turn.

[smittenwithclay]

I was also shocked when I found out covers were not well liked..if the singer is good I never thought or cared about whether it was a cover or whether I heard it a million times..even before clay I had no idea..

[Lotus]

Let's see the WHOLE picture!

And lets see it again!

Yes very tasty and judging by that green light on his right thigh someone is taking a long slow focus with their camera up his body either that or is about to take a below the belt photo.

[wandacleo]

I like covers.

[ausdon]

Do they really serve dolphin ? :o

I couldn't let this go by.

This is a dolphin fish, served all over the world and prized by deep sea fisherfolks.

As opposed to the mammal dolphin which is a protected species, at least in US waters.

Clay content: He's as cute as a dolphin.

Thank goodness!

I want to go to Australia. Sounds like a fascinating history.

Remember when you say you love me..he used to freak that song up quite a bit.

Australia: Love it. Have visited once-Bisbane, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Melbourne- but would love to visit again. I sort of found it to be a cross between the US and the UK, but with only the best bits of each. Aussies were so friendly and open. I have travelled the world, but never felt more welcome than I did there. Before that visit I was warned off of Australian men - by a gay man. Not sure if he was worried about my well-being, or just wanted to increase the field for himself.

A belated Happy Australia Day! One of my best non fan friends lives just outside Sydney. I met her when I was living in London. I am trying to convince Claylove to come to Australia with me if I go back for a visit, and Couchie you should come too.

The juxtaposition of WYSYLM and Australia discussions reminded me of something that happened at the height of MOAM promotion. My friend used to work in clubs and knew Human Nature, the group that had the Australian number one hit with WYSYLM. Yes they did-numero uno. Anyway, they sent me this autographed CD in the mail:

Back then I knew zip about images on the internet, so this is a crappy low res version and I cannot find the CD. Hey, IT'S NOT CLAY , so why would I have it in safe-keeping? lol What it said was: "Dear Pam, hope you love our version more." :image13:

Yay! FCA party downunder!

I love Human Nature. One of the guys-Toby Allen_- appeared in a musical (Caberet) a couple of years ago. Sounds familiar.

Sorry if this has been posted already, but twice is good because it's such a good article: Fascinating Queers: Clay Aiken:Measuring the Man

ETA: Scroll down a bit.

Wanda I loved this article in spite of all the name calling- Maybe thats done with affection? I know in Australia we tend to call each other names in an affectionate way. Of course you have to know each other well!

It's nice to see an article that's almost all complimentary.

[muskifest]

Nice pouchy tummy. It would make a great pillow. Now which way should I turn my head? Up or Down? Maybe I should just be restless and toss and turn.

Heh...how about some nuzzling and then a wet, juicy raspberry in his belly button!

liney, you're really good for a smutter's ego, you know? And tribeca...although I've dabbled in Clay hetero fiction , I've yet to 'get modern' and write any REAL LIFE fiction staring Clay....as in THE REAL CLAY! Not sure I will....life goes on....

Ah, in days of yore, I LOVED writing about Clay..... But now, instead of actually writing full stories, I think I'm using my message board posts as an outlet for all the smut that simmers 'neath the surface...all the erotic fantasies boiling silently in my fingers...all the forbidden dreams of the bliss that could be, but never will....all the images of long, strong limbs writhing and sliding...all the.....

See what I mean?

(Sorry, Prof. Aiken. Muski's being a bad girl again ...may I please stay after class? )

[tribeca]

Jerry Aiken Speech

Diane Bubel Speech

Clay Aiken Speech

Award of Appreciation

Raffle TV

are all up on youtube now

[claytonic]

Well just a warning about coming to Australia ..... be careful if you are travelling with someone called Randy. If you point to him and say "he's randy", he or you or both of you could be arrested at the airport for indecency.

georgiesmybaby Last I heard, Sydney has the biggest population of gays in the world, after San Francisco.

here's a strange question

I usually don't like smutty posts or slash fiction

but there is something totally endearing about Muskifest post. I am very confused by that.

tribeca, when I first joined this board and came across a classic muskifest post for the first time, I was shocked to my bootstraps. I thought, what is this ...

Then I started to LOOK for them because they were like sweet medicine at the end of a bad day. When Clay announced he was gay, one of the first things I thought of was, oh NO, what will muski do, what will WE do without the muski dose of sweet, sweet medicine?

I tellya, not only did she not bat an eyelid, she's lifted her game.

It's an addiction. And there's no known cure.

[georgiesmybaby]

Well just a warning about coming to Australia ..... be careful if you are travelling with someone called Randy. If you point to him and say "he's randy", he or you or both of you could be arrested at the airport for indecency.

Claytonic, Aussie slang can get some of us Yanks in trouble, eh?

georgiesmybaby Last I heard, Sydney has the biggest population of gays in the world after San Francisco.

My friend just bought a home in the'burbs but up until then she lived in Newtown, and from what she says, it's definitely still true. Mardi Gras alone is just wild-in case anyone doesn't know, Sydney hosts an international gay Mardi Gras every year which is just bananas.

ausdon

Yay! FCA party downunder!

Sounds like fun! Just be sure to stock up on Tim Tams, k? Only THE BEST cookies ever created. Wish I had a package...or ten... right about now.

[luckiest1]

Wheeeeeeeeeee, the feet, the feet!

Some of my favourite concert moments have been the covers he interjects amongst his own music. Chain Of Fools, Fool with Cherie, so many more. Loved the entire JBT. Loved the DCAT/SRHP. Love ATDW. I guess you could say, I like covers.

And, after a few more listens, I now have I Don't Have The Heart going 'round and 'round in my head. Thank goodness I got it loaded to the iPod, because I find that the best way to get it to stop is to listen to it again.

I just noticed that lots more clack has been added to the various vaults, courtesy of goldarngirl. Speeches, auctions, and even mp4s of the songs.

Link to Clackunlimited

[FearofH2O]

Thanks goldarngirl, I've been waiting for the mp4s. Thanks to you and Scarlett for looking through a lens for us when you could have been staring at the man right in front of you. Future thanks for those who haven't put up their video yet. I'm enjoying the pictures of Clay who has grown up before us into a very handsome and talented man. He looks so good with that little sunburn and no makeup to hide his gorgeous features.

I'm sorry that you are unhappy sheiladownunder at Clay's choices of songs. He hasn't asked me lately what he should sing so I'm going to take whatever I get and be happy. :8: He and his mangement have to decide which direction to go in. I'll just follow because it's his voice I love. I don't miss the radio play. I don't turn it on unless I want to hear talk radio anyhow. One of my favorite things to listen to of Clay's cds is the Crooner's Christmas, where Clay is on the same album as Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Bing, Nat and many other old time singers. He fits in very well. I'm not always happy with the songs on any of the other singers' cds I like, but I'll buy the albums anyway. Who knows what I'll like tomorrow.

[duckyvee]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but twice is good because it's such a good article: Fascinating Queers: Clay Aiken:Measuring the Man

ETA: Scroll down a bit.

Wanda I loved this article in spite of all the name calling- Maybe thats done with affection? I know in Australia we tend to call each other names in an affectionate way. Of course you have to know each other well!

It's nice to see an article that's almost all complimentary.

I loved it, too.

Truthfully, I'm not a fan of covers by anyone, no matter how well done, but whatever..... Clay will sing what he wants or thinks he needs to sing and I'll probably enjoy it. It's not even about the songs anymore, at least not for me. Probably never was.

And I really did love ATDW. Go figure.

[ldyjocelyn]

miamiherald.com

Clay Aiken is No "Idol" on the Golf Course

Clay Aiken is no 'Idol' on the golf course

It's ironic that Clay Aiken hosted a golf tournament for his Bubel/Aiken Foundation that helps send kids with disabilities to camp. Because the former American Idol contestant has no idea how to play.

''My game is wicked,'' Aiken admitted from the Mirasol Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens Monday. ``I just tip the ball in. I don't have the patience. I think my handicap is like 7,000!''

Mini-golf is a different story.

''I could impress you with that,'' said the 30-year-old crooner. ``But let's be honest: Any sport that involves windmills isn't real.''

Though Aiken has little patience to even watch Tiger Woods' game (``Unless you get a hole in one, I'm like, gotta go!''), he's passionate about the tourney's cause. Before making it big on AI, the North Carolina native was a special-ed teacher.

The flagging economy didn't hurt turnout to the $500-a-head Golfing for Inclusion event. ''I hated to ask for money now,'' said Aiken, who just wrapped a Broadway run of Spamalot. ``We were worried.''

But for the price of admission, golfers got to hear him sing such classics as I Can't MakeYou Love Me, When a Man Loves a Woman and Unchained Melody.

The out-and-proud Aiken didn't have much time to hang out in South Florida. He's a dad now (Parker, with the help of surrogate mom/pal Jaymes Foster, was born in August). Though he admits Foster's the one who's getting up for nighttime feedings.

''It's a team effort, sure,'' he said. ``But she's the mom and obviously doing more of the work.''

___

Hmmm...sounds like they talked to him this year, but attended last year's event. *g*

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

I like covers...have never understood why that seems to be a four-letter word to some in the fandom...good music is meant to be heard and there are a lot of good songs out there and if they are sung by a good singer, it shouldn't matter whose sung it before.

I am not a smutter by any means (well maybe a well-placed innuendo)but I do enjoy Muski's posts...I love how uninhibited she is...just isn't something I would be comfortable doing (but I can still think it, "g")

39 Days until Daylight Savings Time!

51 Days until The First Day of Spring!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

think my issue with cover besides I like new music

is I think Clay is too young for it

tribeca, you're not the first person I've heard say this, but I truly don't understand that. To me, age is a NUMBER. No more, no less. It doesn't make a difference to me the age of the artist, just that I like his voice, or his musical choices, or both, or his humor.

BTW, another of my favorite artists, Huey Lewis, did an album of all covers many years ago, called "Four Chords and Several Years Ago." I think it's still my favorite album by him.

And of course, in many ways, The Beatles started out as covers artists. Much of the early British Invasion was bands doing covers of early blues artists.

it is funny because I do love the song Solitaire especially when he sang on AI3 (but I never heard that song before so it was new to me)

Bolding mine.. And that's how I treat every song Clay Aiken has ever sung on record for me. Even if I've heard the song a gazillion times before, it will be the first time Clay has ever sung the song, and added his vocal stylings and interpretation to it. To me, that's a winner situation most of the time. I truly wish more people could see it "my way," but alas, I know that won't happen.

Sorry if this has been posted already, but twice is good because it's such a good article: Fascinating Queers: Clay Aiken:Measuring the Man

ETA: Scroll down a bit.

Yeah, the language at the beginning was kinda lame, but the essence of the article rocked. I especially liked this paragraph:

I admire most those who turn a stereotype upside down when it really counts. And kudos to Clay for refusing to be the kind of Christian we are all used to and sick of. Unlike the other kind who are always pointing fingers at Tinky Winky or unwed mothers for causing the fall of society, he’s out in the world doing the work his Saviour commanded him to do- feed the hungry, visit the sick. It’s certain that he is privately contending with struggles of faith and community as he forges ahead into his own brand of family values. I say that takes tremendous pluck and a heart filled with love. On the other hand, he isn’t interested in being a queer stereotype either- the poor dear is rather fashion unfriendly even if he is gal’s best friend. And he came out in his own sweet time, for his own reasons, without bowing to public pressure. Plus, Clay wasn’t exactly a diva while getting his Versace good and dirty in the war-torn Middle East. No wonder he’s been voted the most loved reality star of all time! But Clay isn’t so sure he deserves the adulation. He told People Magazine that he regrets being too busy to do more!

Breaking stereotypes -- that's what I love about him.

Love those long lean legs in that picture. Yum.

Oh justclay! I loved End of the Road, too! When I listen to that now I always think..."Hmmm...Jacob sounds pretty danged good...and then.....THEN...the VOX enters and immediately it's like "Jacob Who?" Gah...I love his voice doing soul and R&B and Motown stuff...Talk about some exploding heads if he ever decided to record an R&B covers cd.

Yes, the last Atlantic City show, Jacob and Clarence (the keyboard player) switched places. I loved that. And Clay did a fantastic job on End of the Road. Swoon worthy.

I like covers.

Especially on a cold winter night.

Oh. I suppose that's not what you meant.

I'm sorry that you are unhappy sheiladownunder at Clay's choices of songs. He hasn't asked me lately what he should sing so I'm going to take whatever I get and be happy. :8:

Yeah, that.

[ldyjocelyn]

Just call me a postwhore...

Cute golfing pictures from Misty1928 at the CB

A few choice ones:

And happy SIXTH anniversary of "Take..."

[Couch Tomato]

well I can understand the he's too "young in his career" to be recording covers aspect. But I'm like duckyv - for me with Clay it's not about what he sings its just that I need him to sing. It's more about how his voice makes me feel. It's like a salve to my soul for some reason I stopped trying to explain and understand a long time ago. And I'm an old soul and have been since my mid twentys. I don't listen to new music. Actually the only way I find new music today is if the song is played on a television show I watch...and then I really really really have to get it in my head the first time to make me go in search of it. My choice, when I do turn on a radio in my car is to listen to old time R&B (all those groups Jamar and JMH mentioned yesterday) from the 50s-80's. Very few new songs penetrate the track list of that station.

ETA: to change doing covers to recording covers which are two different things. Clay singing covers of his own volition at his own events is no suprise and actually something I've come to expect.